I ran across these pictures and it reminded me how stupid I was for not buying this '64 fastback about 20 years ago. It was in Colorado and was going to cost too much to have it shipped. It was the closest I came to owning a SOHC powered car. It also reminded me of how stupid I was for not buying a crate SOHC engine when I was at the H & M auction in the '70s.
On June 21st Octane Press released a second edition of Holman Moody: The Legendary Racing Team. It has 16 more pages than the edition I have which is the first from 2002. Autoweek had a small report on it. From what they state it must have more pictures. regards, Roland
Did HM ever do any work with the ECU (Lincoln/Merc-Turnpike Cruiser) engined '57 Merc 1x4 bbl or 2x4 bbl carb. cars from Fomoco? If they did, to what extent were they involved? I know these were primairily drag cars, but there were several "privateer-built" specials built for Daytona Beach Trials Runs(including one with Halibrand knock-off wheels/hubs & Hilborn injection!) & wondered about possible HM involvement?
I'm sorry I can't answer your question but it did bring up something form the past. I seem to remember some Fords running the "'57 Turnpike Cruiser" front spindles. Were their hubs 5X5" bolt circle?
Falconred: I don't remember the numbers, but the Merc bolt cir. was larger than the std Ford(& was the same as a late '40's Studebaker PU): I swapped the axles, wheels & spindles from a '57 Merc TPCruiser (in the late '60s) to get the bigger brakes for my '57 Ford Ranchwgn, & later put that same Ford 9'' under my '47 Studebaker PU 'cause I needed the 3.89 ratio & the Stude 16'' wheels fit/matched. (the cars/trucks we wasted back in the day!!!)
Just finished this thread from front to back.Just outstanding.Love it.Keep it coming. Good luck.Have fun.Be safe. Leo
hi frank, i dont have any info other than i have the flow bench from h&m. one of the dynos was at bill gwyns place in suffolk,va. and maybe tommy sutton in rock hill may still have the cincinatti nc mill. =====fletcher harrison
One of the problems running a stock car in the mid 60's was breaking out the wheel center mostly on the right front. It was normal to see a pack of cars going around and suddenly a wheel flying up in the air. Welding another wheel center into the wheel was one fix , or if you had money , buy a right front spindle and hub from Holman/Moody and use a 5X5 wheel made by Kelsey/Hayes, then put a 57 Mercury TP spindle on the left. Then Rich Clement of Chicago started to build wide wheels with a better center you could get almost any type of stud spacing. He even build his rim shells so you could get almost any width you needed. Think Kelsey/Hayes was glad with that as they wanted to get out of the racing wheel business. Anyway, that's what I was told. Cheers, Chuck
Not sure when Clement got started in the wheel business but by the mid 70's he was a major player in the racing wheel business. He raced a late model at Kankakee and Santa Fe (Willow Springs) Speedways in IL.
I have talked about what I didn't buy at the H&M auction in the '70s but here is something I did buy. All the steel racing wheels left over. I am not sure if they were made in house or elsewhere or both. They were thick and wide and current for the era. There were around 100 on several pallets sold in one lot if my memory is correct. I sold them all to one person I believe.
Rich Clement also drove at Bob-Joe from time to time in a Chevy tended to by John Kennedy of Villa Park. Also had a MoPar kit car in USAC.
Yes, Clement put in some laps at Bob-Jo (Sycamore Speedway) as well. Clement, Kennedy and Bob Kelly were friends and pitted together. Pretty sure Kennedy did a little NASCAR racing too. Sorry for the hi-jack. Back to the Holman and Moody history.....
Hello together I saw this posting about the "Schmidlin-Torino".<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> I'm from Switzerland and I know something about that HM-Torino.<o></o> Norbert Schmidlin died in the year of 2005.<o></o> I met him in the year 2003, and he showed me his torino. He tells of his car races in europe. On the hood are the decals "BOSS 460 HEMI".<o></o> The Boss engine is no longer in it, but I dont know, what for an engine is now in it.<o></o> I know an old mechanic, which previously made the repairs. I can get ask him, maybe he know more of this car.<o></o> The pics are from an advertisement in the year 2010. I dont know, is the car sold or still in the possession of the family from Norbert Schmidlin.<o></o> <o> </o> Markus
Went by to see the boys at Holman & Moody a few days ago. Jimmy Tucker was building a 427 medium riser. He said he will celebrate his 50th anniversary with H&M in a few months but doubts he will celebrate #51. He will be 74 next month.
Thanks to everyone who's contributed to this important history project... Years ago in an English magazine, possibly Motor Sport, I read about the van that was used to carry rally cars around Europe. It was a new early sixties econoline built by H&M, with a major 427 of some kind. It was said to have hauled a flat bed trailer with TWO Falcon rally cars at 90 mph on the way back to the English shop. Any conformation or photos?
According to the Tom Cotter and Al Pearce book "Holman Moody The legendary race team" they built a fleet of 289 vans and one 427 van to be support vehicles for the Falcon rally team in Europe. Keith Dorton stated that his first job at HM was adapting the four speed transmissions to work with the Econoline column shifters. The 427 van ended up being the shop truck for Alan Mann's Race Team. regards, Roland
x2. This thread makes NASCAR valid for this down-under ignoramus. 'Dust & the Glory' sounds good- those amazing USAC races.. BTW this famous aussie gasser (shown here in early eighties guise) was running eights with a blown/ inj. 'cammer' supplied (according to HAMB'r Carps) by Holman/ Moody. Not knowing Pirotta/ Caruana personally I am not the fellow to verify. 'Satisfaction' was, last time I heard, the oldest continually ANDRA registered race car in Australia.
Markus, Great information on one of my favorite cars of all time...all the way back to when I first saw it in that Car & Driver magazine at the ripe old age of 15! Quite amazing that the car is is still looking so good...despite the 'school bus yellow' and red paint job. That is rather striking, indeed. And yes, it looks like the Boss 429 (460?) is gone and a 351 Cleveland in it's place, no? Or is that a big block 460 with non-Boss heads? Thank you very much for posting those pictures of Mr. Schmidlin's Torino. It's great to see that it is still out there and running. Is the car up for sale? Thanks again! Brad Salt Lake City, Utah USA ---------------------------------------
Isn't it wonderful how historical research transfers from one thing to another. I have been doing research on the legendary former Chester Drag Strip in Chester S.C. and stumbled across what has to be one of Holman & Moody's first ads. H & M was formed shortly after Ford joined the American Manufacturers Association racing ban on June 6th 1957. John and Ralph purchased a full page ad in the souvenir program of the 1957 International Drag Races at Chester Drag Strip in November. This ad was published less than 6 months after the legendary operation was formed. This is the cover of the program and the ad.
If you heard anything from Keith Dorton from Harrisburg , NC , I will say it was genuine to the fact , very honest , intelligent and great man . You won't find a better human being than him . Builds a hell of an engine . Hard working man, it's a pleasure to know him .
The Jalopy Journal
